Traveling with hearing loss and/or with hearing aids can seem overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be. Here are some travel tips to make your trip easier.
You may miss announcements in the airport, train station or bus station.
Before you go, there are arrangements you can make to make traveling with hearing loss easier. In fact, making as many travel arrangements in advance can make a big difference because communicating with hearing loss can be difficult. Meeting with a travel agent can help because it will be easier to communicate with them in person and they can contact airlines, hotels and attractions to make necessary reservations. Always get written confirmation and bring it with you.
Transportation can also be difficult if you’re traveling with hearing loss. You may miss announcements in the airport, train station or bus station. It’s best to tell the ticket representative that you are hearing impaired and ask to be notified personally when it’s time to board. Also, inform the flight attendant that you are hearing impaired and request that in-flight announcements be made to you in person.
Lodging should be reserved in advanced, but bring a copy of your reservation with dates and prices to help you communicate with the front desk. Also, tell them that you are hearing impaired. This is very important for emergency situations. Some hotels provide visual alert devices to help hearing impaired guests recognize a telephone ringing, knock on the door or a fire/emergency alarm. Let them know when you are reserving your stay that you are hearing-impaired to make necessary arrangements for additions such as visual alert devices.
Activities are often the best part of traveling, but can be difficult if you’re hearing impaired. You may want to bring assistive listening devices with you or confirm they are available at attractions before you go. FM listening systems can provide direct amplifications in large areas using a radio frequency. This can be helpful for lectures, tours and other attractions. There are also portable TV band radios that can be tuned to compatible TV channels and listened to through an earphone. Check with the attractions to see if they offer anything for hearing impaired guests or speak with your audiologist about items you may want to bring.
Hearing aids should be easy to travel with if you follow some simple tips. First, be sure to pack all the cleaning and repair items you need for daily use including plenty of batteries. You may also want to bring a dehumidifier, especially if you are traveling to a warm, humid climate. Don’t pack your hearing aids in checked luggage in case your luggage is misplaced. Remember too that the security scanners shouldn’t harm your hearing aids and you should be able to leave them in during the security check, but you should let security know that you are hearing impaired.
If you are hearing impaired and/or traveling with hearing aids and have questions, please contact us at (818) 859-7730.
